


The Girl of Golden Sunshine and The Daughter of Blackest Night

by pixelk1



Series: The Guardians Dance Studio [1]
Category: Brave - Fandom, Frozen - Fandom, Hotel Transylvania (2012), rise of the guardians, tangled - Fandom
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Ballet, Alternate Universe - Dance, Ballet, F/F, References to Drugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-09
Updated: 2014-09-09
Packaged: 2018-02-16 17:24:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2278308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixelk1/pseuds/pixelk1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mavis' father signs her up for ballet lessons as a "positive extra-curricular activity." Mavis soon gets positively enamoured with a girl she meets there. (Part of the Guardians Dance Studio AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Rapunzel had been at the Guardians Dance Studio for a very long time. Mavis had been forced into ballet lessons by her dad because he wanted her doing more extracurricular activities. Basically, he wanted her to stop hanging around with Pitch and the other boys so much. But ballet was so pink, so girly, so embarrassing.

On her first day Mavis had showed up in black tights and a black leotard and her short black hair pulled into a nubby ponytail behind her head, fastening her bangs with a few pins in the right places. She had liked the way the leotard showed off her miniscule curves and long legs. Only two people were wearing something other than pink. Her and another girl who was wearing the brightest sunshine yellow Mavis had ever seen.

“ _great.”_ Grumbled Mavis. “ _This will be just as horrible as I expected_.”

The massive dance instructor, an older Russian man named Nicolas St. North, called them to attention and each girl lined up at the barre.

A girl with bright red hair that clashed with her pink leotard and freckles liberally sprayed across her face and arms lead them through the warmup. After the warm up Mr. North told them to practise their Grande Jetes across the room. He told Mavis that since she was a beginner she would be paired with another senior dancer who could get her up to speed. She pointed at the girl clad in yellow who skipped over happily.

“Hi! My name is Rapunzel,” she said cheerfully.

Mavis replied coolly. The girl had huge green eyes and perfectly yellow-gold hair to match her leotard that was tied up into a massive bun that almost seemed bigger than her head. As Rapunzel walked her through some basic steps like the five positions and how to skip in ballet Mavis wondered how her neck could support her weight. I really made her look like a bobble head. _“Ridiculous.”_ Mused Mavis, _“Perfectly ridiculous.”_

“Um hello? Earth to Mavis?” Rapunzel said, clapping in front of her face.

Mavis nodded and went back to robotically moving her feet from first to second to third position. Rapunzel watched her quietly and sighed. “You’re kind of, well, doing it wrong?”

“Doing what wrong? I’m doing exactly what you asked me to.” Mavis snapped.

Rapunzel nodded, “Well. Yes I suppose so but you’re moving. Not really dancing. In dance everything you do counts. The five positions are very basic but important. Watch me.”

Mavis sat and watched Rapunzel move away from her a little bit. Rapunzel started in first position, then moved to second, then third and then as she reached fourth and brought her arm up she thrust herself up onto the toe of her right pointe shoe and brought her right leg up into the arm. Extending her reach up and out as if grasping at something. Her leg went up, up, up above her head and Rapunzel’s eyes sparkled with glints of emotions. Hope, fear, excitement. Then she dropped down her leg and stood on both toes. Her arms raised over her head in fifth, arcing over the bun on her head. Her chin was raised but her eyes were closed. A soft smile played on her lips and she looked blissful for a moment before she dropped back to first and opened them to look at Mavis. Mavis had never seen something so beautiful in her life.

She crouched down to look Mavis in the eyes. “That is what dance is Mavis. Dance is emotion.”

Mavis nodded. Maybe dance classes wouldn’t be so bad after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few weeks passed and Rapunzel kept working with Mavis. The Guardian Dance Studio taught all kinds of dances. Mavis’s ballet class was the only girl’s ballet class for the tiny studio so it catered to every level. Though Mavis was technically part of the senior girls since she was seventeen, she was nowhere near the skill level that they possessed. Most of them had danced since they were young girls and most danced en pointe. Mavis was stuck practising the basics with the junior girls most classes.

Classes where on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mavis and Rapunzel would stay behind on Tuesdays to practise since the slot after class on Thursdays was reserved for a competing ball room couple. Mavis practised her leaps and spins and her leg extensions. She did have beautifully long legs for dancing which Rapunzel mentioned a lot. It always made her blush.

One Thursday Rapunzel invited Mavis to go for dinner with her friends. The wild looking red head, Merida, was there, along with a few boys from Rapunzel’s jazz class and the boy’s ballet class. The couple that practised after their class on Thursday showed up later too.

Mavis laughed with all of them, learned their names and how long they had danced for. Watching them eat was amazing too. Everyone was ravenous after their dance class but it astounded her to see how much these tiny ballerina’s could pack into their stomachs. As much as she hated to admit it, she was getting along with everyone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The recital was only a few months away. When Rapunzel was working with Mavis one day Mr. North called them over to speak with them.

“The two of you have been making wonderful progress working together. For the recital I would like you to perform a pas de deux of my own choreography. I hope to show case both of your styles. Rapunzel, you dance with the essence of fire. Mavis, your dance style is smooth and slinking. I hope that the two of you together will bring out this intensity even more. I would like to start working with you after class on Tuesdays,” he told them.

Rapunzel laughed, “This is great! We already work after school on Tuesdays so the stretch to our schedule won’t be felt at all.”

Mr. North nodded and went back to teaching. Mavis left that class feeling giddy. Mavis liked Rapunzel. Really liked Rapunzel. “ _Which is totally crazy_ _because she’s nothing like my style.”_

Mavis had dated before. Boys mostly. Or really only one boy, actually. But there had been one girl before. It would probably just blow over. _“Besides, I don’t even know if she likes girls. I could just ask? No, that would be stupid.”_

She rode the bus home slunk up to her room. She lived in a big Victorian style house on the edge of town. Luckily the town’s public transit stopped her right in front of the house. Her dad didn’t like the idea of her driving. Her room was littered with clothes. Punk and goth band posters coated her walls. She flicked on a light that cast a red glow over everything and checked her cellphone. She had one text from Rapunzel and one from Johnny, her ex. She scowled at Johnny’s text and ignored it. He really needed to stop calling her.

Rapunzel had invited her to a massive party at his friend Jacks house the next day. His parents where gone for the weekend. Mavis texted back that she would totally love to go. Rapunzel texted her a stream of happy emoticons. Mavis laughed and ran downstairs to tell her dad that she was going to Rapunzel’s house to ‘study’ on Friday.”

Her dad said she could go. He was probably just glad that she was interacting with someone who didn’t wear only black clothing. Mavis got Rapunzel in on the plan and they decided that Rapunzel would pick Mavis up and Mavis would change when she got into the car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day Mavis packed her clothes into a black duffel bag and covered it with textbooks. She was also sleeping over so it would matter if she came home late. Rapunzel picked her up and Mavis changed in the back seat. Her typical black mini dress and red striped stockings where replaced with a red dress and black tights. Rapunzel was wearing her hair in a massive braid down her back with flowers and grass skillfully woven into it. Her pink dress picked up the glow of her skin beautifully.

“You looked very pretty today,” Mavis said, leaning forward.

Rapunzel smiled into the rear view mirror. “Thank you Mavis. You look stunning as ever.”

“So who exactly is Jack?” Mavis inquired.

Rapunzel drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, “I think you met him and his girlfriend at dinner that one time. He’s a ballroom dancer from the studio, practises after our class on Thursdays with his girlfriend Elsa.”

Mavis nodded, “Oh yeah. I did meet them didn’t I?”

“Also Hiccup, Flynn and Hans will be there from the boy’s ballet and jazz classes. Along with Anna and Merida from ballet. Oh, here we are.”

The climbed out of the car and up the steps of the town house. Loud music blared out of an open window and Jack opened the door to let them in. “Hey ‘Punze, good to see you. Mavis right? Cool. Come on in. Can I get you two a beer?”

Mavis accepted the beer that was thrust into her hands and took a sip. It was some British brew that she had never heard of before but it was pretty good.

The night went off without a hitch and as the party wound down Mavis started looking for Rapunzel so they could get going. She looked in the living room and kitchen but Rapunzel was nowhere to be found.

Merida suggested that she looks in the basement, sometime people go down there to play ping-pong or whatever.

Mavis descended the stairs to the small basement. Rapunzel and Flynn where sitting on the couch. Flynn had one hand clamped on her knee and Rapunzel was giggling as his mouth caressed her neck. Mavis blushed but Flynn and Rapunzel had already spotted her at the base of the stairs.

“Heeey Mavis,” Rapunzel called. She was clearly drunk. “Have you met my friend Flynn? He was just teaching me how to kiss. Isn’t that nice of him?”

Mavis tried to smile, “Yeah that’s really great. Listen Rapunzel. I think we ought to go. It’s getting late now.”

Flynn flashed Mavis a pearly, drunken smile that made her want to throw up, “Aww but we were just getting started.”

Rapunzel pouted but stumbled to her feet to follow Mavis up the stairs. Jack was standing at the top, “Hey are you guys heading out?”

Mavis nodded, “I think it’s our time to go. Rapunzel has had a lot to drink and she needs to get home.”

Jack nodded concerned, “Here let my girlfriend drive you. She doesn’t drink so it’s safer.”

“Thanks, that’s really great of you.” Mavis said. Rapunzel was slumping over her shoulders now.

Jack helped bring Rapunzel to the car then handed the keys off to Elsa who drove them to Rapunzel’s house. Mavis sat in the back with Rapunzel who snoozed softly beside her. Mavis was quite for the whole ride home.

“Rapunzel can come and get her car tomorrow sometime,” Elsa told her. Mavis nodded and Elsa sped away. As they climbed the steps of the house Rapunzel started to wake up a bit and let them in. The foyer of the house lead right into the kitchen where Mavis’ father and Rapunzel’s mother where having tea.

“Oh crap,” Mavis said letting her head flop downwards.

Mavis’ father stood, “We’re going home.” He said. His voice was filled with silent rage.

Rapunzel mumbled an apology and her mother told her to go to her room, “I’ll deal with you once you’re sober.” Being the last thing Mavis heard as the door slammed shut behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day Mavis came downstairs to see her father already up and sipping his coffee at the kitchen table. Mavis quietly pulled her cereal out of the cupboard and fixed herself breakfast. Once she had sat down and begun to eat her father set his cup down and regarded her with stern eyes.

“I am very disappointed in you, Mavis.” He said.

She sighed and continued to eat. He kept talking, “I don’t understand. Why did you lie to me about this?”

“Well you wouldn’t have let me go anyway.” She said, not looking up from her cereal.

“You don’t know that.”

She flicked her eyes up to meet his and frowned, “Yeah, actually, I do. You never let me do anything. You think I’m still a baby. I mean sure ballet worked out really well but still.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I’m taking you out of ballet.”

“What?” She screeched, pushing back from the table. “You can’t do that. It’s actually fun dad and it was your idea in the first place.”

“I think maybe it’s not as positive of an environment as I thought. Honey, just listen to me for a moment-“

She turned on her heel and stormed upstairs before flinging herself on her bed. She sobbed and thought about how messy her life had become. She had really been enjoying her lessons and was looking forwards to her recital. Now she was being forced into quitting ballet and it was obvious that Rapunzel didn’t like her.

Across the room her phone lit up. She sat up on her bed and wiped her eyes before getting up to check it. It was a text from her old friend Pitch. He was wondering if she wanted to go to the ravine with him. Going to the ravine always included one of two things; sex or drugs or (knowing Pitch) sometimes both. He said that several other people would be there so it was probably just drugs. They always went after dark and Mavis would have to sneak out.

She thought about Flynn’s hand on Rapunzel’s knee. She thought about her dads face when he had told her how disappointed he was. She thought about every bad grade and time a teacher had called home from school. She thought about Pitch and Johnny and all her old friends that her dad had forbidden her from seeing again. She texted back that she would love to go with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The easiest way to sneak out of her house was through the study balcony. A metal tower with the TV satellite on top. The bars where easy to climb down. You just had to get past the scary rocking with your weight as you climbed down. It wasn’t the sturdiest thing she had ever climbed on and she hadn’t used it since she was fifteen and in the depths of her rebellious phase.

Mavis tip-toed past her father’s room and climbed down the tower. Pitch and Vanellope where only a few blocks away and she quickly caught up with them. Pitch showed her his bag. It was full of all kinds of goodies. Usually they just did some weed or got drunk but sometimes Pitch had something stronger. The usual crowd was there and she had a lot of fun. Laughing and talking and smoking.

She went out with them night after night and her father was blissfully unaware. Some times when they went out and they were sitting on the rocks by the ravine she would see one of the girls fling their heads back in laughter and their hair would whip about their heads and she would think about Merida and Rapunzel and the other dancers when they would practise leaps. Then she would take another hit and forget.

On those nights she felt sad and happy all at once. Like this was her last night on Earth but like she was immortal. Like she was living at the bottom of the ocean and on top of the world. All at once. Every feeling, every pain and every pleasure and every one was connected.

Then she brought home her report card. She had started to smoke after school too. Pitch said it was no big deal, she would only get home a half-hour later and no one would notice. She needed the stress-reliever after getting her report card anyway. When she finally came stumbling home from school her dad was in his usual we-need-to-talk spot. Sipping coffee just like always. She sat across from him and tried to keep her eyes lowered so he wouldn’t notice the red tinge.

She slid the report card over to him and heard him let out a very slow breath. “You will go up to your room and bring down your laptop, cellphone and all of your CDs. You will go back up there and you will not come out until I let you. Dinner will be eaten up there alone and you will think about what you have done. You have let me down for the last time.”

She stood, not having the energy to argue, and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She sat on the bed for a while and eventually sleep took over. The next day her dad granted her the freedom to use her phone only when at school and he started picking her up and dropping her off.

A week after lock-down they had a chat;

“Dad?” She said, worrying that she might make him angry. “I was wondering if you would allow me to take up ballet again. I know that I shouldn’t have lied to you about the party and I would like a chance to come clean to you about everything. It’s not just my grades that have been dropping. Remember last year when I used to hang out with Pitch? Well I have been again…”

He allowed her to say her piece. Fully, without interruptions before closing his eyes and sighing. “I think I knew that already. The second I stopped letting you go to ballet I knew I had made the wrong decision but I was just kidding myself. Of course you can go back to dance class.”

She smiled and hugged him tight, “I know that you’re just trying to protect me. I can’t blame you, not after what happened to mom but I’m not a kid anymore. I can take care of myself.”

He kissed her on the top of the head and ruffled her hair, “I know. You’re almost an adult and I need to see that. I’ll call the studio right away.”

“Thanks dad.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mavis? Is that you?” Rapunzel asked, looking astonished.

Mavis smiled. “Hey. My dad finally let me come back to class.”

Rapunzel embraced her. “You are a sight for sore-eyes my friend.”

Merida came up behind them. “It’s good to have you back, lass.”

“Good to be back.”

In her absence Merida had been rehearsing the Pas De Deux with Rapunzel but Mr. North was so pleased to have Mavis back that he said he was willing to switch the dancers at the last minute. Merida claimed that Mavis danced it better anyway.

The recital was fast approaching and Mavis and Rapunzel practised twice sometimes three times a week. After practise they would go out for milkshakes and talk and study. Mavis’ dad let her go to parties at Jacks house which he had almost every weekend but most where quieter than the first. Just a few friends gathered to talk or play board games or watch movies. Rapunzel and Flynn dated for a week but Flynn just wanted to shove his tongue down her throat.

Rapunzel broke it off but still cried and Mavis was there to comfort her. A week before the recital Mavis finally told Rapunzel how much she had liked her from the moment they met. Rapunzel was the one who kissed her. Mostly because Mavis was nervous and wouldn’t stop yammering long enough to hear Rapunzel’s reply.

During the dress rehearsal their pas de deux made Mr. North cry and he realized that a dance originally meant to show a battle between to contrasting personalities had become a dance about finding love in their differences. On the night of the recital Mavis felt happier than she had in years and she lit up the night with Rapunzel by her side. That night however it was decided that nobody was happier, or prouder, than her father.

**Author's Note:**

> first position, second position, etc.= basic Ballet movements.  
> barre= stationary bar used during ballet warm-ups  
> pas de deux= French for "step of two." Usually a dance between a girl and a boy.  
> grande jete= a ballet leap where one jumps from one foot to the other with the goal of doing the splits in mid air.  
> ~~~~~  
> please tell me what you think in the comments! Its a pretty unpopular ship but I thought it deserved a good fic for the few shippers who do.


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